Introduction to Depositional

Environments

Chapter 8 & 13

Introduction
„ Depositional Environments
„ Facies and facies successions
„ Summary

Depositional Environments
„ Geomorphic setting in which a particular
set of physical, chemical, and biological
processes operates to generate a certain
kind of sedimentary deposit
„ Physical environment has “static” and
dynamic elements
„ Static: basin geometry, sediment composition,
water depth, etc.
„ Dynamic: currents (wind, water),
precipitation, climate

1
 Depositional Environments

„ N.B. – many/most of Bogg’s “static”

variables actually change over geologic
time
„ E.g., basin shape, water depth

Depositional Environments

„ Chemical elements: pH, Eh, salinity, pCO2,

etc.
„ Biological aspects: activities of organisms
(burrowing, skeletal particles, etc.) and
their remains (e.g., peat)

Depositional Environments
„ Continental
„ Fluvial
„ Alluvial Fan, Braided River, Meandering River
„ Desert, Lacustrine, Glacial
„ Deltaic
„ Delta Plain, Delta Front, Prodelta
„ Marginal Marine
„ Beach, Barrier Island, Estuary, Tidal Flat
„ Marine
„ Continental Shelf
„ Carbonate Reefs and associated environments,
Siliciclastic Shelves
„ Continental Slope and Ocean Floor

2
 Depositional Environments
„ Objective: Use sedimentary deposits to
interpret depositional environments
„ Physical, biological, chemical parameters of
an environment combine to produce a body
of sediment characterized by specific
textural, structural and compositional
properties
„ Distinctive bodies of sediments or
sedimentary rocks are facies

Forcing Product

Climate
Geometry
Sediment
Supply
Depositional
Physical properties
Tectonism Environment

Sea level
Composition
Biota

Forcing Product

Climate
Geometry
Sediment
Supply
Depositional
Physical properties
Tectonism Environment

Sea level
Composition
Biota

3
 Objectives of Stratigraphic
Analysis
„ Use observable properties of deposits
(color, lithology, texture, sedimentary
structures, etc.) to reconstruct depositional
environment
„ Individual features or beds are seldom (if
ever…) diagnostic
„ E.g., cross-bedded sandstones in rivers,

shorefaces, submarine fans, etc.

„ Analyze associations of features and beds

Facies
„ Different types of facies can be defined
„ Lithologic (“lithofacies”)
„ Distinguished by physical characteristics

(e.g,. colour, lithology, sedimentary

structures)
„ Biological (“biofacies”)
„ Paleontological characteristics

„ Trace fossils (“ichnofacies”)

Facies
„ Facies are distinguished by lithological,
structural and organic aspects that are
detectable “in the field” (core)
„ Facies are ultimately given environmental
interpretations, but the facies definition is
objective rather than interpretive
„ Sometimes “interpretive” facies are defined
„ E.g., fluvial facies, submarine fan facies

4
5
 SW NE

Coastal Plain
Shoreface
Marine
Limestone

Facies
Associations/Successions

„ Individual facies may not be diagnostic of

any particular environment
„ Observing how facies change (lateral or
vertical context) can provide useful
information

6
 Facies
Associations/Successions
„ “Sandier
(coarsening)
upward” succession
„ Often interpreted
as “shoaling
upward” or
progradation

Facies
Associations/Successions
„ As depositional environments in a given
environment shift with time, the deposits of
one environment may come to lie above the
deposits of another environment
„ Assumes subsidence
„ Therefore, a direct environmental relationship
may exist between vertically stacked
successions of strata
„ “Walther’s Law” – Johannes Walther, 1894

Walther’s Law
“It is a basic statement of far-reaching
significance that only those facies and
facies-areas can be superimposed
primarily which can be observed beside
each other at the present time”
(Walther, 1894)

7
 Facies
Associations/Successions
„ Walther’s Law applies to conformable
successions only
„ No significant time gaps
„ Does not imply that vertical facies
successions always duplicate the lateral
transitions

Walther’s Law

Boggs 2001

Facies
Associations/Successions

„ “Shalier (fining) upward” succession

„ Often interpreted as “channel abandonment”

8
 Facies Models
„ General summary of a given depositional
system
„ Written/presented in terms that make the
summary usable
„ Assumes:
„ Physical processes constant through

time
„ Limited number of depositional systems

Facies Models
„ Act as a norm for purposes of comparison
„ Act as a framework and guide for future
observations
„ Act as a predictor in new geological
situations
„ Act as an integrated basis for
interpretation for the system it represents

Walker, 1994

9
Facies Models
„ Facies models have been generated for
all (?most) types of depositional
environments
„ Wide range of variability may be present
for any given type of environment
„ Be careful about applying models too
rigidly
„ A “certain amount” of departure from
idealized model is to be expected

10
Summary
„ Depositional environments
characterized by physical, chemical and
biotic aspects
„ Interaction of these aspects produces
distinctive bodies of sediment or
sedimentary rocks that are called facies
„ Lithofacies characterized by distinctive
physical properties that can be
recognized in the field

Summary
„ Combinations of facies (facies
associations, facies successions) usually
better for environmental reconstruction
than individual facies
„ Walther’s Law predicts how facies can
stack vertically in a conformable
succession

Summary
„ Facies models are derived for particular
environments by examining modern,
ancient environments/deposits
„ Facies models act as:
„ A norm for comparison
„ A framework and guide for observations
„ A predictor in new situations
„ An integrated basis for interpretation

11